Overgrown vineyards threaten tourism and winemakers in Baden-Baden!

Overgrown vineyards threaten tourism and winemakers in Baden-Baden!

The vineyards in Baden-Baden, Bühl and Bühlertal are facing a serious problem: increasing overgrowth threatens not only viticulture itself, but also the associated tourism in the region. Loud SWR Winegrowers report visible bare spots and dry vines in their vineyards. This is a worrying signal for the quality and attractiveness of Baden wines.

Volker Maier, a winemaker from Baden-Baden-Haueneberstein, expresses concern about the overgrown neighboring vineyards. He runs an organic winery with an area of ​​ten hectares, including steep slopes, and describes how mushrooms and blackberry vines are increasingly invading his property. These difficulties are exacerbated by increasing pest pressure.

Demands for action

Klaus Bloedt-Werner, chairman of the Wine, Tourism, Culture and Art Association, is calling for urgent measures to combat the overwilding of vineyards. Bloedt-Werner suggests that municipalities should ensure that uncultivated vines are properly cleared away. He also advocates the revival of field guards who take care of the vines. The municipality of Bühlertal has already taken steps to hire a part-time landscaper to take care of the overgrown vineyards.

Commissioner Angelika Zimmermann has already identified owners of abandoned vines and asked them to clear them. The State Office for Geoinformation and Rural Development, which is working on a concept for the future use of viticulture in Mittelbaden, shows additional commitment. The aim is to present an overall strategy by the summer holidays at the end of July.

Economic challenges

Volker Maier sees the causes of the overwilding primarily in the difficult market situation for Baden wine. Many consumers tend to buy cheaper foreign wines, which makes domestic viticulture increasingly unprofitable. Maier emphasizes that a 0.75 liter bottle of wine should not cost less than 10 euros in order to offer winemakers a perspective.

The neglect of these vineyards not only impacts winemakers, but also tourism in the region, according to a report by The first is discussed. In view of the abandoned areas due to the unsustainable economic conditions, it is clear that both viticulture and the entire tourism sector in Baden-Württemberg are facing major challenges.